28.10.22

80% pupils in 3 northeast states walk to school; in Goa, only 20% do

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About 80% of the school students in Nagaland, Meghalaya andMizoram, characterised by difficult terrains and remoteness, walk to school while nearly same the percentage of students in Goa either take the bus, family vehicle or ride bicycles to school.

The Foundational Learning Study report 2022 compiled by theUnion ministry of educationand National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) show that against the national average of 55% of students walking to school, 84% walk to school in Nagaland, followed by 80% each in Meghalaya and Mizoram. On the other side of the spectrum, only a little over 20% students in Goa walk to school. In the national capital, 50% go to school on foot.

In Nagaland, 9% of students travel to and from school in private four-wheelers or two or three-wheelers while 3% go in school buses, 2% use public transport and the 1% go to school on bicycles.

In Mizoram and Meghalaya, the report said schools are able to provide transportation facility to only 1% and 2% students respectively, while 3% and 4% students respectively avail public transport to attend school.

In Mizoram, 11% of students commute in their own two or three-wheeler vehicles while 3% travel in their family four-wheelers in both Meghalaya and Mizoram. In Meghalaya, the percentage of students going to school in privately owned two or three-wheelers is 5%.

Over 1,500 Dima Hasao farmers benefited under PM-KISAN plan

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At least 1,561 farmers out of 3,636 eligible beneficiaries inAssamsDima Hasaodistrict have received the 12th instalment of their money under the PMKisan Samman Nidhi(PM-KISAN) through direct benefit transfer.

The eligible families are provided Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each under the scheme. He was addressing the PMKisan SammanSammelan 2022 at Haflong Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

Skill India to host Kaushal Mahotsav in Dnal

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The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) through its strategic implementation and knowledge partner the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will be organising a Kaushal Mahotsav on Sunday in Dhenkanal.

Under the guidance of Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan, a series of events will be periodically held in the State, bringing an array of opportunities to the local youth and communities of Odisha.

Tamil Nadu assembly passes Bill to ban hookah bars

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TheTamil Nadu assembly passed aBillamending the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) to banhookah barsas part of the state government’s efforts to weed out tobacco abuse.

The Bill, tabled by the health and family welfare department and passed without any objection, has introduced a clause, effecting prohibition of opening or runninghookahbars. The clause states that sale and service of hookah at any place including an eating house is prohibited. It describes an eating house as a place where food or refreshment of any kind are served.

The Bill also sought addition of a clause empowering police officer of the rank of sub-inspector and above to seize materials and articles from a hookah bar. It has introduced another clause that violators can be punished with an imprisonment up to three years and fined up to Rs 50,000.

Karnataka govt to merge all road transport corporations

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Despite a recommendation to the contrary, the state government has decided to merge all four state-run road transport corporations to plug operational losses and increase efficiency.

KarnatakaState Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Staff and Workers Federation, for years, has been demanding a merger with Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka RTC (NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka RTC (KKRTC).

It was even one of the demands made to the MR Srinivasa Murthy committee which was set up by the government in November 2021 to recommend measures to restructure and revive ailing RTCs. However, the one-man committee reportedly rejected the merger demand.

KSRTC was bifurcated in 1997 into new corporations such as BMTC and NWKRTC. In 2000, one more corporation, KKRTC (formerly NEKRTC), was formed.

Attero to invest Rs 600 crore to set up recycling unit in Telangana

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Electronic waste recovery player Attero India will invest about Rs 600 crore to establish a new facility in Telangana. The proposed facility will provide direct employment to more than 300 people and indirect employment to many more, according to IT and IndustriesMinister KT Rama Rao.

The new investment announcement comes soon after the attracted cumulative investments worth Rs 2,450 crore from four companies this month. These investments have a potential to create employment to about 6,500 people. These came in from sectors as varied as lifesciences, edible oils and jewellery making and pharma. It also saw foundation stone laid for five projects in the life science segment. These involve an investment of Rs 1,100 crore and have potential to create employment to 3,000 people at the Genome Valley.

Power utilities in Andhra Pradesh on capacity expansion spree

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The power utilities of the state have concentrated on enhancing power generation capacity and reducing transmission and distribution losses.
Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (SDSTPS) stage 2 (800 MW) Krishnapatnam plant at Nellore and dedicate it to the nation on October 27.

This installation capacity augmentation has been planned as the energy department anticipates that the daily demand may increase to 250 million units by March 2023 inAndhra Pradesh. The transmission losses that were around 3.1% in 2018-19 have been reduced to 2.8% this year.
According to the officials, the 800 MW supercritical unit at Krishnapatnam generates 19 million units of electricity per day, coming in handy for the utilities to meet the rapidly increasing electricity grid demand.

Goa govt to notify 1.7L sqm land at Bainguinim as waste management area

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Taking a step closer to build a 100 tonne per day (TPD) solid waste treatment plant at Bainguinim, the state government has formally moved to notify 1.7sqm of land atBainguinimas waste management area. The site will be used to establish a waste processing and disposal facility, which is projected to cost Rs 120 crore.

In June, theGoa Waste Management Corporationhadissued a draft proclamation specifying its intent to build a solid waste treatment facility. Stakeholders were given 30 days to submit objections and suggestions.
The department found that the objections were similar to the objections that were raised during the public hearing held on July 28, 2019 at the Old Goa village panchayat hall for environmental clearance (EC).

Maharashtra to get dedicated cyber intel unit: Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

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Maharashtrawill soon have a dedicated cyber intelligence unit, said deputy chief ministerDevendra Fadnaviswho also holds the home portfolio. Fadnavis also warned the threat ofurban Naxalismwas huge.

He made the announcement at the concluding session of the two-day conclave of home ministers at Surajkund in Haryana on Friday. The conclave-Chintan Shibir Camp-was chaired by union home ministerAmit Shahand addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Fadnavis said the unit will be a single dedicated platform which will bring together nationalised and private banks, financial institutions, social media platforms, regulatory bodies, cyber police and technicians, and that a dynamic response system will be built from it. He said given the rise in cyber and financial crimes, the organisation will be prepared to tackle it.

Haryana govt considers MSP on stubble to check burning

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As a measure to check air pollution, the Haryana government is considering announcing a minimum support price (MSP) onstubbleso that farmers sell their crop residue instead of burning it, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Wednesday. He said the number of stubble burning cases has come down substantially in Haryana.

The state government gives Rs 1,000 per acre to farmers for not burning the crop residue, Khattar said, adding that it also helps them sell the crop residue to refineries and other industries.